Intermediate storage station means for sheet-like information bearing media

ABSTRACT

In apparatus for transporting sheet-like information bearing media along a feed path between first and second stations to an utilization station there is disclosed intermediate storage station means disposed along said feed path for storing a plurality of such media. The storage station means includes a storage chamber having first and second openings on either side thereof disposed in a plane coincident with the feed path. First and second transport means are respectively provided substantially adjacent said first and second openings for transporting information bearing media into and out of said storage chamber through said first and second openings. First and second holding means are provided respectively disposed between said first opening and said first transport means and between said second opening and said second transport means. The first transport means and first holding means are staggered with respect to the second transport means and second holding means so that they hold image bearing media stored in the storage chamber in a substantially S-shaped bent configuration.

ilnited States Patent 1 Ries et s1.

[ Aug. 21, 1973 [75] Inventors: Jiirgen Ries; Ma Keck; Heinz Streicher; Manfred Lentwein, all of Stuttgart, Germany [73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company,

Rochester, NY.

[22] Filed: May 15, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 253,120

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Even C. Blank Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner, Jr. AttorneyW. H. J. Kline et a1.

[57 Aas'raAcr In apparatus for transporting sheet-like information bearing media along a feed path between first and second stations to an utilization station there is disclosed intermediate storage station means disposed along said feed path for storing a plurality of such media. The storage station means includes a storage chamber having first and second openings on either side thereof disposed in a plane coincident with the feed path. First and second transport means are respectively provided substantially adjacent said first and second openings for transporting information bearing media into and out of said storage chamber through said first and second openings. First and second holding means are provided respectively disposed between said first opening and said first transport means and between said second opening and said second transport means. The first transport means and first holding means are staggered with respect to the second transport means and second holding means so that they hold image bearing media stored in the storage chamber in a substantially S- shaped bent configuration.

'7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.2

FIG.4

Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5

FIG.6

Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet FIG. 7

FIG.8

INTERMEDIATE STORAGE STATION MEANS FOR SHEET-LIKE INFORMATION BEARING MEDIA BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to apparatus for transporting sheet-like information bearing media along a feed path between first and second stations to a utilization station and more particularly to such apparatus including intermediate storage station means for such media disposed along the feed path for storing a plurality of such information bearing media in a stack and for successively transporting media seriatim into and out of such storage station means.

2. Description of the Prior Art Apparatus for utilizing sheet-like information bearing media such as record cards, aperture cards, microfiche and the like are well known in the art. In many such apparatus it is desirable to transport individual information bearing media from a stack of such media seriatim along a feed path to one or more utilization stations disposed along the feed path. In one such apparatus disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,645,612, commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application, apparatus for projecting images derived from information bearing media such as aperture cards includes .first and second stations for receiving a plurality of image bearing media in magainzes, a feed path disposed between the first and second stations, first and second projection stations for projecting images derived from information bearing media disposed at the projection stations and an intermediate storage station disposed between the projection stations and with respect to the feed path for receiving and storing information bearing media. The storage station includes structure defining a storage chamber disposed along the feed path and having first and second openings respectively at opposite ends of the chamber, a first drive roller and cooperating first pressure roller for directing information bearing media through said first opening and a second drive roller and cooperating second pressure roller for directing information bearing media through said second opening. The first drive and pressure rollers and second drive and pressure rollers are disposed within said chamber along said feed path. Although this apparatus is effective in temporarily storing a plurality of aperture cards for utilization at one of the projection stations and for maintaining the sequential order of the cards as they are fed in either direction between the first and second stations certain difficulties have arisen where the stored apparatus cards include a microfilm chip projecting beyond the surface of the card. In such case, it has been found that during transport of an aperture card into the storage chamber the edge of the moving aperture card may abut against the edge of the film chip of a stored aperture card. This abutment may result in the tearing or mangling of the film chip and the possible destruction of a great numer of information bearing media, particularly when these media are to be speedily stacked one after the other. Further difficulties may arise where the supply channels along the feed path to the intermediate storage chamber become blocked and the transport means provided in the apparatus isthus jammed.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is thus an object of the present invention to provide, in apparatus including means for transporting sheet-like information media along a feed path between first and second stations, intermediate storage station means disposed along said path for storing a plurality of such information bearing media in proper sequence and for transporting information bearing media seriatim into and out of said storage station means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a storage station means wherein information bearing media are transported into and out of the storage station without damage to information bearing media stored in the storage station and in such manner that the apparatus transport means is not jammed.

According to the present invention there is provided, in apparatus including means for transporting sheetlike information bearing media along a feed path between first and second stations, intermediate storage station means disposed along said path generally comprising means defining a storage chamber for storing a plurality of sheet-like information bearing media and means for transporting information bearing media into and out of said storage chamber. According to an aspect of the invention the storage chamber is provided with first and second openings at opposite ends thereof, said openings being aligned with the plane of said feed path. According to another aspect of the invention first and second transport means are respectively provided substantially adjacent said first and second openings for transporting information bearing media into and out of said storage chamber. First and second holding means are respectively disposed between said first opening and said first transport means and between said second opening and said second transport means. The first holding and transport means are staggered with respect to said second holding and transport means and hold stored information bearing media in a substantially S- shaped bent configuration.

The invention, and its objects and advantages, will become more apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments presented below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the storage means of the present invention showing the respective transport and holding means in the extended position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an aperture card having a microfilm chip as an illustrative image bearing medium which may be stored in the storage means of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partially sectional view of an aperture card as in FIG. 2 wherein the microfilm chip is adhered to one side of the card and extends beyond the surface thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partially sectional view of an aperture card as in FIG. 2 wherein the microfilm chip is inserted in a recess of an aperture card;

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view as in FIG. 1 showing an information bearing medium being transported from the right side into the storage means storage chamber;

FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view as in FIG. 1 showing an information bearing medium being transported from the left side into the storage means storage chamber;

FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view as in FIG. 1 showing the separation of an information bearing media within the storage chamber for transportation out of said chamber;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the forces acting on an information bearing media abutting against an end wall of the storage chamber of the storage means of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the Figures there is shown a preferred embodiment of storage station means according to the present invention. As shown, storage station means 10 is disposed along the feed path of an information bearing media utilization device such as the micro film reader disclosed in the aforementioned US. Pat. No. 3,645,612. The feed path of the reader may include guide channels 12 and 14 on either side of station means 10 formed by spaced structural members 16 and 18. Station means 10 includes a storage chamber formed from members 16 and 18 and disposed between guide channels 12 and 14 and in communication therewith for storing a plurality of information bearing media such as aperture cards 22. Access to storage chamber 20 from guide channel 14 is by means of opening 24 on the left side of storage chamber 20 and access to storage chamber 20 from guide channel 12 is by means of opening 26 on the right hand side of storage chamber 20. Openings 24 and 26 are in opposed alignment and are aligned with a feed path defined by channels 12 and 19.

Storage chamber 20 generally includes an intermediate inclined chamber portion 28, recesses 30 and 32 in member 18 and recesses 34 and 36 in member 16.

Storage station means 10 include first transport means 38, substantially adjacent opening 24, second transport means 40 substantially adjacent opening 26, first holding means 42, between opening 24 and means 38 and second holding means 44 between opening 26 and transport means 40.

First transport means 38 includes a rotatably mounted transport roller 46 which has a portion extending into chamber 20 to engage aperture cards 22 stored therein. Transport roller 46 is adapted to be driven in opposite directions by reversible drive means 48. Means 38 further includes idler roller 50 rotatably mounted on slidably mounted plunger 52. Roller 50 is normally biased into engagement with transport roller 46 by means of spring 54. Solenoid 56 is provided for moving plunger 52 and thereby roller 46 between an extended position as shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position as shown in FIG. 5.

Second transport means 40 similarly includes a rotatably mounted transport roller 58 which has a portion extending into chamber 20 to engage aperture cards 22 stored therein. Transport roller 58 is adapted to be driven in opposite directions by reversible drive means 60. Means 40 further includes idler roller 62 rotatably mounted on slidably mounted plunger 64, roller 62 being normally biased into engagement with roller 58 by means of spring 66. Solenoid 68 is provided for moving plunger 64 and thereby roller 62 between an extended position as shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position as shown in FIG. 6.

First holding means 42 includes a first plunger 70 having a bevelled head 72 and an oppositely disposed second plunger 74 having a guide member 76. Plungers and 74 are normally biased into engagement with stored aperture cards 22 respectively by means of springs 78 and 80. Solenoid 82 is provided to move plunger 70 between an extended position as shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position as shown in FIG. 6. Solenoid 84 is provided to move plunger 74 between an extended position as shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position as shown in FIG. 6.

In like manner, a second holding means 44 includes a third plunger 86 having a bevelled head 88 and an oppositely disposed fourth plunger 90 having a guide member 92. Plungers 86 and 90 are normally biased into engagement with stored aperture cards 22 respectively by means of springs 94 and 96. Solenoid 98 is provided to move plunger 90 between an extended position as shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position as shown in FIG. 5. Solenoid 100 is provided to move plunger 86 between an extended position as shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position as shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of transport rollers 50 and 62 and each of plungers 70, 74, and 90, 86 are in an extended position so that rollers 46 and 50 and head 72 and guide member 76 engage the stack of aperture cards 22 on the left side of chamber 20 and so that rollers 62 and 58 and head 88 and guide member 92 engage the stack of aperture cards 22 on the right side of chamber 20. However, since rollers 58 and 62 and head 88 and guide member 92 are staggered with respect to rollers 46 and S0 and head 72 and guide member 76, the stack of aperture cards 22 are held thereby in a substantially S-shaped bent configuration. The bent configuration of aperture cards 22 is exaggerated in the drawings and normally there would be no creases caused by this bending.

Information bearing media which may be used in the present invention may be aperture cards approximately of the type shown in FIG. 2. They consist of a rectangular sheet 22 which can be made of paper of a certain stiffness or the like, and have a cut-out image window 22a for a piece of microfilm 23. This piece is adhered to one side of the sheet (FIG. 3). In this way, projecting adhesion areas 22b and 220 are formed in the transverse direction, whereas transverse window edges 22d and 22e are fomed on the other side of sheet 22.

FIG. 4 shows an information bearing media whose cut-out window 22a is provided with a recess into which the microfilm piece 23 can be stuck. With this embodiment, the sheet has transverse window edges 22b and ZZ'c, and on the other side transverse window edges 22'd and 22'e.

When information bearing media 22, which in FIG. 1 has been shown in broken lines, is transported from the right side through the guide channel 12 and further through the opening 26 into storage chamber 20, it first moves clear of the outer end of the aperture card stack which has been deflected by means of plunger 86 by more than the width of one information hearing medium. Immediately afterwards, transport roller 58 is caused by driving means 60 to rotate counterclockwise in response to the direction of transport of the media 22. As shown in FIG. 5, solenoids S6, 98 and 100 become operative, the plunger 86 being retracted in the direction C, the opposite guide member 92 being retracted in the direction D, and the idler roller 50 on the left side being retracted in the direction E. As a result of the retraction of the guide member 99, the stack which was curved on this side, or also one single information bearing medium can unbend and assume the position shown in FIG. 5. The entering information bearing media 22 is engaged by the transport roller 58 and further transported in the direction A. The adhesion area 22b (transverse window edge 22b in FIG. 4) of the edge of the film piece which extends transversely to the direction of transport is thus moved at a distance past the right end 22 of the stack of media. Since roller 50 is also in its retracted position the leading edge of the advancing information bearing media 22 is also moved at a distance past the transverse window edge 22d (22d in FIG. 4) of a stacked media and makes contact with the guide member 76 of the plunger 74 which guides the information media 22 back so that it is placed on the stack.

When, as shown in FIG. 6, an information bearing media 22 is transported from the left side through the guide channel 14 and further through the opening 24 into the storage chamber 20, it first moves clear of the left outer end of the stack which has been deflected by more than the thickness of one information carrier by the slider 70 (FIG. 1). In response to the direction of transport of the information carrier, the transport roller 46 is then immediately driven counterclockwise by drive means 48 and the solenoids 82, 84 and 68 (FIG. 6) cause the plunger 70 with head 72 to be retracted in the direction F, the opposite plunger 74 with guide member 76 to be retracted in the direction G and the idler roller 62 to be retracted in the direction H. In this manner, also the left curved side of the stack or of a single information bearing media is allowed to unbend away and of assuming the position shown in FIG.6. The information carrier 22 entering from the left side is now engaged by the transport roller 46 and further transported in the direction B, the window edge 22d (22d in FIG. 4), which extends transversely to the direction of transport being moved past the stack at a distance from the left end thereof. The guide member 92 of plunger 90 subsequently directs the advancing information bearing media back to the stack.

-In order to facilitate the separation of the information bearing media during transport out of storage chamber 20, the end walls are each provided with an inclined surface 110 and 1 12 respectively at their junctions with the openings 24 and 26.

When, as can be seen in FIG. 7, an information bearing medium is transported to the right side to be removed from storage chamber 20, an information bearing medium is shifted by means of the transport roller 58 in the direction G towards the inclined surface 112 of the end wall transport roller 58 now rotating clockwise in response to the transport direction. All the remaining information bearing media held between the pairs of rollers and plungers are also shifted in the direction G, and make contact with the inclined surface 112. While the information bearing media are allowed to be aligned in a stepped arrangement at this inclined surface, the plunger 86 is retracted in the direction C by means of solenoid 100 so that biased guide member 92 can follow in order to press the end of the stack against the right longitudinal wall. The information bearing medium 22 which faces this wall 4 is thus placed at the opening 26 to be removed through the guide channel 12.

FIG. 8 shows how a component P of the feeding force P is formed when an information bearing medium abuts against the inclined surface 1 12. This force P assists in positioning the information bearing media in alignment with opening 26.

This procedure is analogously repeated when the information bearing media are transported to the left to be removed from the stacking chamber through the opening 24.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus having a feed path along which information bearing media are transported seriatim, storage station means disposed along said feed path comprising:

means defining a storage chamber having first and second opposed openings in alignment with said feed path;

first transport means at least partially disposed within said chamber adjacent said first opening; second transport means at least partially disposed within said chamber adjacent said second opening;

first holding means at least partially disposed within said chamber between said first opening and said first transport means;

second holding means at least partially disposed within said chamber between said second opening and said second transport means; and

said first transportmeans and said first holding means being staggered with respect to said second transport means and said second holding means so as to hold one or more sheet-like image bearing media in stacked relationship in said storage chamber in a substantially bent configuration.

2. The storage station means of claim 1 wherein said first transport means includes a first transport roller,

means for mounting said first transport roller for rotation in opposite directions,

first idler roller; and

means for resiliently mounting said first idler roller for normal engagement with said first transport roller.

3. The storage station means of claim 2 wherein said second transport means includes a second transport roller,

means for mounting said second transport roller for rotation in opposite directions,

a second idler roller, and

means for resiliently mounting said second idler roller for nonnal engagement with said second transport roller.

4. The storage station means of claim 3 including first reversible drive means for driving said first roller means in opposite directions.

5. The storage station means of claim 4 including second reversible drive means for driving said second roller means in opposite directions.

6. The storage station means of claim 1 wherein said first holding means includes:

first and second plunger means,

means for movably mounting said first plunger means,

means for movably mounting said second plunger means, and

means for normally urging said first and second plunger means into engagement with one another. means for movably mounting said fourth plunger '7. The storage station means of claim 6 wherein said means; and

second holding means includes:

third and fourth plunger means; means for movably mounting said third plunger means;

means for normally urging said first and second plunger means into engagement with one another. 

1. In apparatus having a feed path along which information bearing media are transported seriatim, storage station means disposed along said feed path comprising: means defining a storage chamber having first and second opposed openings in alignment with said feed path; first transport means at least partially disposed within said chamber adjacent said first opening; second transport means at least partially disposed within said chamber adjacent said second opening; first holding means at least partially disposed within said chamber Between said first opening and said first transport means; second holding means at least partially disposed within said chamber between said second opening and said second transport means; and said first transport means and said first holding means being staggered with respect to said second transport means and said second holding means so as to hold one or more sheet-like image bearing media in stacked relationship in said storage chamber in a substantially bent configuration.
 2. The storage station means of claim 1 wherein said first transport means includes a first transport roller, means for mounting said first transport roller for rotation in opposite directions, first idler roller; and means for resiliently mounting said first idler roller for normal engagement with said first transport roller.
 3. The storage station means of claim 2 wherein said second transport means includes a second transport roller, means for mounting said second transport roller for rotation in opposite directions, a second idler roller, and means for resiliently mounting said second idler roller for normal engagement with said second transport roller.
 4. The storage station means of claim 3 including first reversible drive means for driving said first roller means in opposite directions.
 5. The storage station means of claim 4 including second reversible drive means for driving said second roller means in opposite directions.
 6. The storage station means of claim 1 wherein said first holding means includes: first and second plunger means, means for movably mounting said first plunger means, means for movably mounting said second plunger means, and means for normally urging said first and second plunger means into engagement with one another.
 7. The storage station means of claim 6 wherein said second holding means includes: third and fourth plunger means; means for movably mounting said third plunger means; means for movably mounting said fourth plunger means; and means for normally urging said first and second plunger means into engagement with one another. 